Saving Amy
by Xx.LoveIsABlessing.xX
Summary: Song : Savin' Amy by Brantley Gilbert. I heard this song earlier today and God just gave me this idea to go with it. I cried while writing it, but I'm so proud of it and I can't thank God enough for this story, along with all my others! I hope ya'll like it! I wrote this story pretty quick, haha.


_**Saving Amy**_

_Song : Savin' Amy by Brantley Gilbert_

_**Amy's got the letters I wrote**_

_**My picture in a frame**_

_**She's had a year to let go**_

_**And she's still wearin' my ring**_

_**It hasn't left her finger**_

_**Since the night that I proposed**_

_**When I promised her forever**_

_**Before I took her home**_

_**But I never made it home that night**_

"Ty, tonight's been amazing." Amy whispers, her cheek against my chest as we watch the fireworks explode over our heads. She gasps as one goes off particularly loudly, it's residence a bright blue and green that crackles as it falls to the ground, vanishing before it can reach.

I chuckle, "Yeah, tonight's went pretty well, hasn't it?"

She smiles at me brightly, cuddling closer to me as the fireworks continue to go off.

It's December 31st and Amy and I are at the park to watch the fireworks, sitting on a spread out blanket under the stars with a thick blanket wrapped around the two of us. We're a good few yards from any of the other spectators that have come to enjoy the bright bursts of light and the smell of gunpowder that they leave behind. Off to our left, Amy's three year old niece is cheering the fireworks on as they race into the sky, bundled up in her little blue parka and mittens, her nose bright red from the cold but she doesn't care. Lou and Scott are watching her, sitting in two chairs to enjoy the scene.

It's almost midnight, just a few minutes until then, and I still have one big surprise for Amy.

I watch the clock on the screen of my phone carefully and once it hits 11:59, I take a deep breath and nudge Amy. She looks at me curiously as I take her hands and pull her to her feet, letting the blanket fall to our feet.

"Amy, every day that I've been with you has been amazing, and I can't thank you enough for those days. You've given me so much, and I can only hope that I've given you at least a fraction of it back." I whisper, pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

She smiles at me, but I can still see the confusion in her eyes.

I reach into my pocket and go down on one knee and her eyes widen in realization.

"Amy Fleming, would you please bless me even further and make me the happiest man alive? Would you marry me?" I whisper, opening the little velvet box in my hand to show her the ring inside, a small but gleaming diamond on a silver band.

She gasps and her hands fly to her mouth, tears filling her eyes. I know I've caught her off guard; we haven't even talked about getting married before.

I hold her eyes and my heart pounds in my chest. Please say yes...

She swallows hard and nods mutely, smiling a tearful smile as a stray tear manages to escape and slip down her cheek. I pull the ring from it's case and slip it onto her finger, kissing away the tear before cupping her face, pressing my lips to hers.

Her arms come up to wrap around my shoulders and I smile softly at the contact as she uses this as leverage to pull my body closer to hers.

We break our kiss as a sudden wind sends a shiver through our frames. I bend down and pick up our forgotten blanket, pulling it around Amy's shoulders and smiling at her as she looks up at me; I can see the love in her eyes and it makes me so happy.

As the fireworks finally reach their final hoorah, a huge display of reds and blues and greens, I hold Amy close and keep the blanket tight around her to help her warm up. She lays her head on my chest and every so often I glance down to see her looking at the ring on her finger, at my ring. It makes me smile and I lean down, pressing my lips to her hair.

She giggles happily and nuzzles closer to me.

"Aunty Amy! Uncle Ty! Time to go!" Little Holly is yelling for us and we look over to see that Scott and Lou are both watching us curiously. Holly has her little mittened hands on her hips, giving us a stern expression that makes both of us laugh.

"We're coming sweetie." Amy calls to her and grins at me as I reach down and scoop up the blanket that we'd been sitting on. I wrap it up carefully and take her hand as we all start heading back to the vehicles.

I can't help but be glad that my truck has a really good heater as I lead Amy to my truck. Our breath billows out in thick white clouds in front of us as we walk.

Getting to my truck, I unluck the passenger side and open the door, tossing in the blanket before I help Amy inside. I shut the door and quickly skirt around my hood to the driver's side, unlocking the door and getting inside. I'm quick to start the truck and kick on the heater.

Amy's looking at the ring again as I put the truck in reverse and carefully start to back out of the parking spot. I can't help but smile.

"Did I do good?" I ask as I back out, turning the truck around and putting it in drive, pulling forward after Scott and Lou.

"Huh?" Amy asks, a little confused at my question I think.

"On the ring. Do you like it?" I ask.

"I love it, it's perfect, Ty." She says and leans over to kiss my cheek again. Her eyes are shining, she's so happy.

I smile proudly and take her hand as I drive, bringing it to my lips and kissing the back of it before laying our joined hands on the console.

"Oh look! It's snowing." Amy leans forward in her seat excitedly as the first small flakes land against the windshield of the truck.

I smile at her, "You get so excited to see the snow."

"I love the snow. It's always so beautiful, and it means that tomorrow I'll get to peg you with a snowball." She smiles at me sweetly and I laugh.

"Oh will you now? What if I get you with one first?" I ask.

"You won't." Amy says calmly, settling back into her seat and pulling the blanket tighter around herself with her free hand.

"And why won't I?" I laugh.

"Because that's no way for a guy to treat his fiancee." Amy says easily and grins at me. Her eyes are just sparkling with her excitement at being able to say that.

"Oh but it's okay for you to peg me still?" I grin at her and playfully narrow my eyes, flicking on my windshield wipers against the snow.

"Of course." She says and laughs.

"Alright then, we'll see about that." I say as I pull out onto the highway. I drive carefully back to Heartland, knowing that the fresh snow will make the road slick. It's just started snowing, so the road crews have had no time to get out and sand down the roads.

After a few minutes we reach Heartland's drive and I pull down it, driving up to the house and killing the engine. I'll stay a few minutes before I head home.

Getting out, I go around to Amy's side as she gets out and she reaches for my hand. I squeeze her hand gently as we walk to the door that Scott's holding open for us. The snow lands on our clothes and in our hair. A few stray flakes somehow land in the collar of my jacket and I shiver as they melt on my skin and slide down my back.

Once we're inside, I help Amy out of her jacket before pulling off my own and hanging them both up, slipping off my boots. I follow Amy into the living room and settle with her on the couch.

"Alright you two, what happened out at the park?" Lou asks as she settles at the end of the couch, Scott sitting down in the recliner with Holly. Nancy and Jack didn't go to the park with us and they're sitting on the loveseat, looking at us curiously now that Lou's said something.

Amy flushes beside me and I smile sheepishly.

"Well, um, I proposed." I say and I feel my own cheeks heat up with a blush.

"And I said yes." Amy says and smiles at me lovingly.

Nancy clasps her hands, "Oh, congratulations!"

Jack beams at me proudly and I smile back softly. Scott stands and walks over, clapping a hand to my shoulder in congratulations.

Lou jumps up and hugs us both, one at a time. She smiles at me happily, "I'm sure we've all seen you as family for years, Ty, but I can say welcome to the family, anyway!" She laughs and I see tears in her eyes. Looking at Amy, I see that more tears have come to her eyes.

"Thank you." I say honestly, looking back at Lou. She kisses my cheek and pulls Amy into another hug.

"We have to celebrate! Come on, Jack, let's whip something up in the kitchen." Nancy says, jumping up and pulling Jack with her.

"Come on you two, get together and let me get a picture." Lou says as she goes to her purse and pulls out her digital camera.

"That's a great idea, Lou." Amy says excitedly.

I slip my arm around her shoulders and pull her close to my side, smiling at she lays her hand over my heart and lays her head on my shoulder. As Lou stands in front of us, we smile brightly at the camera and the flash causes the diamond on Amy's hand to light up, sending out little rainbows in all directions.

"Pretty!" Holly exclaims, pointing at the diamond.

Amy places her hand on my cheek, pulling me down for a kiss. I kiss her back, a happiness like I've never known flowing through my system. This just feels so right.

"I wonder what they're cooking up in there?" Scott says as he starts making his way to the kitchen, pulling Lou and Holly along with him. He's giving me and Amy our privacy and we both send him grateful looks.

I pull her close and wrap my arms around her waist, "So what do you really think of being engaged to me? I know I don't have much to offer, Ames." Dropping out of high school still haunts me to this day, but I know that even if I had the chance I wouldn't go back and change the past. My past has lead to where I am now, and I would never put that in jeopardy.

"Don't have much to offer? Ty, I love you with all my heart. You give me love and support, you listen to me and you always know what to say to make me feel better. I don't think I could ever have found the happiness that I have now without you." She says.

"You really mean that?" I whisper, reaching up to brush my knuckles over her cheek. She smiles at me.

"Every word." She promises and I smile, leaning forward and pressing my lips quickly to hers. She catches my cheeks to hold me still as she kisses me back.

Pulling back a moment later, she smiles at me lovingly and I can't help but smile back.

"We're going to have such an amazing future together." Amy whispers and I nod.

"I promise, Ames, I'll do everything I can to be the husband that you deserve." I say.

"I know you will, and I'll be the wife that you deserve. We're perfect for each other." Amy sighs happily and takes my hands, squeezing them gently in her own.

"Yeah, we are." I agree.

"Alright you two, we've got some cookies coming up and we found some bottles of soda to go with em, or there's milk if you'd rather have that." Nancy says as she comes into the room. We smile at her as she comes and takes a seat on the loveseat, reaching forward and taking one of my hands and one of Amy's in her own.

"I can't say how proud I am of you two, I know that you're going to make such a beautiful life together." Tears are in her eyes too and I can't help but wonder if I'm supposed to have tears in my own eyes.

"Thank you, Nancy. That means a lot to us." Amy whispers and smiles at the older woman gratefully. I do the same.

"Seeing you in that white dress, Amy, it means so much to Lou and your grandfather. They're so proud that you and Ty are finally tying the knot." She says and smiles at me with as much pride in her eyes as I'm sure that Jack and Lou have in their own.

"I'm glad that everyone's happy for us, it means a lot." I whisper and look down at our hands, wondering how my own family will take the news that I'm engaged to Amy. I didn't tell them I was going to propose, didn't even hint at it. I know that Mom loves Amy, and Dad's been coming around, but I'm not sure how they're going to react to this.

I shrug off my worries; I'm not going to let something like that ruin this for me.

As Nancy gets up and heads back into the kitchen, Amy stands and tugs on my hand, pulling me from my thoughts and up to my feet. I follow her into the kitchen and smile as I see everyone talking and laughing.

They're really my family now. I guess I've been considered part of the family for years, but now it's finally becoming official.

Scott and Jack are sitting at the table with Holly while Lou and Nancy check on the cookies that had been put on earlier. Amy lets go of my hand long enough to make up two glasses of coke, then hands me my glass and smiles at me as she takes my hand again and pulls me to the table. I take the seat beside her and laugh as Holly makes the salt and pepper shakers into planes, complete with sound effects.

"Holly, sweetie, put those down before you make a mess." Lou says and Scott starts carefully bribing his daughter into relinquishing her airplanes.

The thought occurs to me that someday Amy and me will have a child and I glance at Amy, wondering what she would want in a child. Would she want a boy or a girl? Would she want more than one child?

These thoughts bounce around in my head as I take a drink of my coke and listen to everyone around me talk happily. I listen in on a joke that Scott is telling that makes me laugh, and before long the cookies are out of the oven and being distributed amongst us all.

They're still warm and taste amazing, each one just soft enough without being doughy.

I'm on my last cookie when Amy suddenly stands and pulls on my hand, wanting me to follow her.

"Be right back." She tells everyone as she pulls me out of the room and upstairs to her bedroom.

I can't help but smile when I enter the room, it's purely Amy's. There are horse magazines scattered over the room, her bed is partly made. Clothes thrown carelessly into the dirty clothes basket. And sitting on the desk is a small wooden box that contains every letter I've ever written to her and every picture of us that she has. Beside it, in a wooden frame, is a picture of me from this past summer.

I really don't know why Amy chose that picture to frame, but she did. In it, I'm working with a black horse named Lonestar, a mustang stallion from the Pryor Mountains in Wyoming who had come to Heartland to be gentled and made safe to ride.

Mustangs, it seems, are where I've made my name around our area. They respond well to me for some reason and so whenever someone gets a mustang and wants it gentled, they bring them here to Heartland and ask for me to work with them. I don't mind it, I love mustangs and the power and freedom that they embody. Knowing that I'm well known enough to have people ask for me specifically to work with a horse, that's an awesome feeling. But it's no where near as rewarding as when I get to work with the mustangs and win them over.

In the picture of Lonestar and me that Amy has framed, I've facing Lonestar as he circles around me. We were joining up that day, and I was just as sweaty as Lonestar was, my light gray T-shirt drenched with sweat and sticking to my frame, a baseball cap turned backwards on my head.

"I don't know why you had to frame that picture." I say as Amy picks up the box of my letters and sits it on the table beside us before she pushes me to lay back on the bed. I land on my back, arms over my head, and she lays down on top of me, pressing her lips to mine. I deepen the kiss and lift one of my hands to cup the back of her neck. She reaches and takes my hands, pulling my arms back over my head and entwining our fingers.

I let her take control of the kiss and sigh into it, letting my body go limp and surrendering. She squeezes my hands gently and I smile into our kiss.

Finally, our kiss breaks as we hear a small knock on the door. Sitting up, Amy rolls off of me and I push myself up onto my forearms as she calls for whoever it is to come in.

Little Holly pushes the door open enough to squeeze inside and closes it behind her, coming over to us and climbing up into Amy's lap.

"Hi sweetheart, what are you doing?" Amy asks, running a hand over tiny blonde curls. Holly's eyes are on me, reclined back on her aunt's bed, and I smile at her. She smiles back.

"How did you two fall in love?" She suddenly asks and we both look at her in alarm.

"Never saw that question coming." I say as I sit up fully and Amy nods.

Meanwhile Holly looks between the two of us, her eyes looking for an answer to her question.

"Well, Holly, Uncle Ty and I knew each other when we were younger, and I guess we kinda grew up around each other from there. We started dating as we got older and it was just easy to fall in love." Amy says.

Holly hums before looking to the box. She points to it, "What's in there?"

Amy smiles softly as she reaches over and picks up the wooden box, undoing the clasp and opening it, showing the carefully folded letters inside. I'd been painstakingly careful with each one to make it as perfect as possible.

"These are all letters that Uncle Ty wrote to me, they helped me fall in love with him, I guess." Amy says and sends me a loving smile as she takes one out and carefully unfolds it.

It's dated from over two years ago and I smile softly, resting my elbows on my knees and leaning forward.

"What's it say?" Holly asks.

"It says that he loves me." Amy whispers and her eyes drift over the letter, happiness again moistening her eyes as she rereads the words I wrote from so long ago. I watch her expression carefully as she reads.

Finishing the letter, she wipes her eyes and smiles at me so beautifully, it makes my heart skip a beat.

"Your Uncle Ty is a very sweet man, Holly." Amy whispers, her voice catching slightly from her tears.

Holly looks at the letters in the box, then up at me. She then turns to Amy, "One day, I want to find my own Uncle Ty." She says and Amy laughs, wiping again at her eyes.

"You will, sweetie, you'll find your own Uncle Ty." She says and I smile in amusement, closing my eyes and facing the floor. I feel Amy take my hand and squeeze gently. I bring it to my lips and then turn back to her, opening my eyes to her sweet smile and Holly's ever curious eyes.

And I'm content, and happier than I've ever been in my life.

It's a few hours later, around four in the morning, before I'm pulling on my jacket to leave. Most everyone has gone to bed; Lou and Scott are staying the night and Amy wants me to do the same.

"See? Look at how much snow has fallen. The roads will be dangerous, Ty. You could just stay here tonight and keep me warm." She says sweetly, wrapping her arms around my waist and laying her chin against my chest as she looks up at me, sending the puppy dog eyes that I've caved to so many times in the past.

I chuckle and put my arms around her as well, "I'll be fine, Ames. I'll drive carefully, I promise. I'll even call you when I get home so you'll know I'm there, okay?"

Amy sighs and shakes her head, "So, so stubborn, the man I'm marrying."

I laugh, "Yes he is, but you still love him anyway."

She grins at me, "Yes I do, I love him with all my heart and he better remember that while he's driving home in this weather."

"Promise." I say and lean down to quickly claim her lips. She tries to make the kiss last longer, but I reluctantly break it and step back. At this rate I'll never get home.

"Make sure you call me." She says as I open the door, revealing the falling snow outside. I smile at her over my shoulder.

"I will, Ames. I love you so much, forever and always." I say and I can't help myself from turning back for one more kiss. She eagerly kisses me back and smiles at me lovingly once we break it.

"I love you more, forever and always." She whispers as I step back and out of the door. I close it behind me, keeping the picture of her loving smile in my mind as I walk over to my truck, the fallen snow crunching under my boots. Climbing inside my truck, I start it and turn on the heater.

When I flick on the lights, I can see Amy in the window, watching me leave. My heart wants me to stay, but I have to get home. I still have to tell my parents.

I reluctantly put the truck in reverse and back up to the right, then put it in drive and start up the driveway. I pause before pulling out onto the road, driving as carefully as I can. I keep the speed down, travelling at a mere thirty miles per hour.

I click on the radio to drown out the sound of the windshield wipers. The music off the Rascal Flatts CD in the stereo comes out of the speakers and I seek through the songs until I find my favorite.

While I'm messing with the radio, I take my eyes off of the road for just a second. When I lift them again, the body of a large deer, a massive buck, is rushing out into the road in front of my truck.

I gasp and jerk on the wheel to avoid the deer, slamming on the brakes. The truck misses the deer, but loses traction in the snow and slides around, hitting a thick embankment of snow on the side that sends it over onto it's side, and from there over onto the top and over again.

As my truck rolls down the hill, I'm tossed around like a rag doll inside it, my cheek hits the steering wheel painfully as I'm tossed around and I'm dazed from the blow. The windshield shatters and covers me in glass, cutting my arms, neck, and face.

All I can think of as I'm tossed around is the picture of Amy that I had in my head, of her loving smile and the happiness in her eyes, my ring on her finger.

Then the truck comes to a screeching halt as it slams into a large tree. My head slams hard against the frame of the truck and I hear a snapping sound as the darkness claims me...

_**And part of her died too**_

_**I've watched her losin' her mind**_

_**And there's nothin' I can do**_

_**Sometimes she goes crazy**_

_**Screamin' out my name**_

_**Sayin', "Baby, please come save me"**_

_**I wish she knew**_

_**I'd do anything**_

_**To...**_

It's been three months since the accident. Each day since the funeral, since _my_ funeral, I've had to sit by and watch Amy deteriorate a little more each day. And the guilt consumes me because it's all my fault.

I should have listened to her that night, and stayed. Then I wouldn't have been on the road. I wouldn't have died and left her behind...

And I know that I wasn't supposed to leave Amy yet, because I haven't left her. Ever since the accident, I've been by Amy's side. I can't say how I got there, I just remember the accident and then it's like I blacked out for a while because the next thing I remember, I'm back in Amy's bedroom and she's sitting on her bed, curled over around that framed photo of me, holding onto it like her life depends on it and crying her eyes out.

It freaked me out, and I had reached for her shoulder and called her name, asking her what was wrong. It took me a few minutes to figure out that she couldn't hear me and that each time I called her name was for nothing. I ended up on my knees in front of her, tears falling from my own eyes when as I remembered what had happened and realized why she was crying.

She was talking while she was crying, and I still remember every word she said. Each one was like a knife to my heart.

"No, no. It's not true. We were going to get married, Ty can't be gone. Please Ty, come home. Please don't leave me. I love you so much, I need you. Please Ty!"

I had sat there, paralized by my own grief as I realized what happened, as Lou came in and put her arms around Amy, shedding her own tears over my death.

Amy had turned to Lou, "He can't be gone, Lou. He promised me he was going to be careful."

Lou had told her what had happened to me, "Amy, from what the police have figured out, Ty tried to miss a deer and lost control of his truck. They said he couldn't have been going very fast, it was just that he lost control. He was trying to be careful, Amy."

"I tried to get him to stay. I should have _made_ him stay." Amy sobbed, collapsing against Lou's shoulder.

That had been too much for me and I'd had to leave the room. I'd went down to the living room, only to find Nancy and Jack in the living room, both of them crying as well. Scott had even cried and Holly had been demanding to know why everyone was crying and where her Uncle Ty was, that I needed to come make everyone feel better.

I had felt so sick, seeing all the sadness I'd brought to those that I love.

Since then, I've stayed by Amy's side, trying desperately to think of a way to make her feel better, to help her heal.

Tonight, as I lay beside Amy while she sleeps, like I do every night, I'm still trying to figure that out. There has to be some way that I can tell her that I'm okay, cause it's true, despite the fact that I'm dead. I'm not all scratched up and bruised like my body was in my casket. I do have to admit, it's a little depressing attending your own funeral.

Amy still cries for me in her sleep, even though I've been gone three months.

"Ty... Don't leave me..." She turns onto her side and I lay beside her, laying on my back with my right arm at my side, my left thrown over my stomach. She wouldn't feel it if I held her, I found that out the hard way and it only caused me grief when I realized I couldn't hold her.

I watch her as she calls for me in her sleep and cries. Soon, my own tears are drifting over my cheeks.

I hate myself for doing this to her, for causing her this pain. If I had only listened to her and stayed that night, then this wouldn't be happening to her. Then I'd be beside her, helping her plan our wedding.

In the slant of light that the moon casts in the window, my ring glistens on her finger. She hasn't once taken it off, hasn't even thought of it.

A girl in town asked her once why she still wore my ring. She said that it made her feel closer to me. Hearing her say little things like that cut me worse than that glass from my accident ever could have.

"Ty!" Amy calls out in her sleep and her fingers curl around her sheets tightly.

I hear footsteps in the hall and soon Nancy's head pops into the room. She worriedly watches Amy a moment, biting her lip as she cries and whispers my name in her sleep. Nancy doesn't see me laid out beside Amy, watching her toss and turn and look for me in her sleep.

"Poor child." Nancy whispers as she silently slips out of the room.

I let my eyes drift closed. Poor child, and it's all my fault that she's in this state. How can they not hate me for causing this? But they don't. They miss me just as much as Amy does, and that amazes me to no end. I wouldn't blame them for hating me.

"Amy, love, I'm so sorry." I whisper to her, unable to stop myself as I reach out and try to brush away one of her tears. Of course it does no good, but I can at least say that I tried.

I sigh and roll onto my side, laying my hand on her hip. I wish that she could still feel my touch, I'd do anything to let her know that I was still with her. To tell her that I was sorry and that I loved her so much.

I lick my lips nervously, "I'm still here, Ames. I'm not leaving you. I love you, so much, Amy. Please never forget that." I whisper and lean forward, pressing my lips to her forehead.

Her hand brushes mine, and I wish she could feel it as I did. Her hand comes to rest over mine and I let myself believe that she really can feel me, that she knows that her hand is resting over mine.

I turn my hand over, and curl my fingers around her hand, holding onto her as my tears fall beside hers, tears over what I've lost, and what I'll never have.

What I wish I could do, what I wouldn't do, to comfort her...

_**Kiss the tears right off her face**_

_**Tell her everything's ok**_

_**Feel her heartbeat next to mine**_

_**And make up for lost time**_

_**Oh but God I know I can't**_

_**But you can't let her live this way**_

_**It's too late for savin' me**_

_**But there's still hope for savin' Amy**_

Horses have always been a sort of salvation for me, and I pray to God they'll do the same for Amy as she goes out to the field one day, a good eight months since I've been gone. It's been too painful for her to be around the horses, they were too deep a connection to me, and everyone has understood that, including our clients.

Now she's finally going back out to see the horses, the first time in so many months. I walk beside her, even though she doesn't know it.

"They've missed you, Ames. They'll make you feel better, I promise." I say as we walk, even though I know I'm basically talking to myself.

As we near the field, I wonder if the horses could possibly sense me? I've seen some showes where they say that animals are more sensitive to spirits, so who knows. It would really, really help if I knew that someone knew I was still around.

We get to the field and go inside, the horses all looking up and pricking their ears forward. Whether its because they haven't seen Amy in so long, or they sense me beside her, I have no idea. They come up to us none the less, and I guess I get a bit of an answer to my question as they nuzzle Amy.

Sundance is looking right at me, this look in his eyes that says he knows I'm here.

My heart swells in my chest. He can sense me! They know that I'm still here!

I look excitedly to the other horses and see Jake, the big clydesdale of Heartland, watching me curiously with his ears straight up.

I can't help it, I'm so excited that I laugh and throw my arms up with a whoop that has all of the horses throwing their heads up to look at me like I'm an idiot, and it only makes me laugh more.

"You can see me!" I say as I fall back to sit on the grass, this new discovery giving me my first happiness since the night I died.

Jake, being brave, drops his nose to the ground and cautiously approaches me.

I look at Amy to see if she notices Jake, but she's buried her face in Sundance's neck, telling him how badly she misses me and how much it hurts that I'm gone. I swallow as I hear her, it still breaks my heart, but then my attention is brought back to Jake as his nose brushes my arm and he dances back with a snort of surprise.

"It's me, Jake! It's Ty!" I say excitedly, focussing my attention on the horse. I have an idea, and I pray that it works. If this will work, it could help me give Amy back her happiness.

Jake cautiously comes back up to me and this time I offer my hand to him. He sniffs my palm before lipping at my fingers affectionately and I grin, glancing at Amy. To my disappointment, she's still not paying attention, but I don't let that deter me from carefully standing and running my hand over Jake's neck. He stands calmly for me, watching me closely as if he expects me to vanish.

"Jake, I need you to help me. You have to help Amy heal." I say, placing my hand on the large horse's neck and pleading with him. I know not to look a horse in the eyes, it threatens them, but something tells me to do just that and I go with it. After all, I'm dead, what harm could it do?

I look into Jake's big brown eye as I talk to him, and somehow I know that he's looking back into my eyes.

"Please Jake. Remember how Amy helped you heal? You have to be there for her now. Please." I say.

_'Please Lord, let this work! Please!' _I pray as I try to get the gelding to understand what I want him to do. I think on it very hard, trying to think of how to get him to understand, when suddenly he walks right past me, up to Amy, and does exactly what I was thinking.

He drops his head over her shoulder in a hug and closes his eyes, blowing out softly and holding her close to his chest.

My jaw drops as I watch him and I grin, thanking God repeatedly in my head as the other horses look away from Jake and Amy to focus on me.

"Jake?" Amy sounds surprised and she carefully untangles herself from the gelding, looking at him in amazement. She swallows thickly as more tears fill her eyes, "Thank you, Jake." She whispers and throws her arms around the gelding's neck, stepping close to him and clinging to him.

I smile softly as I watch them, thanking God one more time just to be certain I said enough thank you's. The horses are going to be how I reach out to Amy, they're going to help her heal where I can't.

Now I just have to figure out how to get the message across to her that I'm still here.

As I'm wondering on that, Sundance gives me one of his looks and I know that he's going to be the horse to help me get the message across, to help Amy realize that I'm still by her side.

I smile at him as I walk up to his side. He gives me his characteristic look; ears down and leg stomping in a warning.

I laugh and grin at him, "I've missed you too, Sundance. Care to do me a favor?"

_**Now three years have gone by**_

_**She's finally livin' life**_

_**And I still watch her sometimes**_

_**Just to make sure she's alright**_

_**She knows I'll always be there**_

_**In her heart and in her dreams**_

_**God I promised her forever**_

_**And that's one promise I intend to keep**_

_**And...**_

It's the third anniversary of my death, and so much has happened in the past two years.

With Sundance's help, I got Amy to heal a lot. I never actually got her to realize that I was still there, but that's okay. We got her enjoy life again, and that's the important thing. And Amy's appearance has changed some, too. She keeps her hair short now, up to her chin, and it's a little lighter than it was when we were together. She's still a little too thin for my liking, but her appetite has come back slowly over the last couple of years and she's put some weight back on.

Sundance and I have even gotten her back into the jumping ring, one thing that she always loved so much. It makes me so happy to see the excitement on her face as she and Sundance fly over the jumps at a contest.

But right now, there's no contest, there's no Sundance. There's Amy, me, and a headstone. My headstone.

"Hi Ty, I love you and I miss you so much." She whispers as she crouches down my my headstone and lays the flowers that she brought out at the bottom of it.

I stand behind her, hands in my pockets as I watch. I know the routine; she'll bring something to my grave, talk to me like she hasn't talked to me in a long time, then cry a little bit. It still breaks my heart, even after we've done this twice before.

She pauses for a second and sighs out a shaky breath. The tears are coming.

"You know, Ty, I keep feeling you, no matter where I am. It's so odd, it's like you're still here. I thought I was imagining it before, especially right after I lost you, but it keeps feeling stronger." She whispers thickly and my eyes widen.

She can feel me?

"I wish it were true, that you were still here with me, but that's selfish of me, isn't it? You're in Heaven, and I can finally be happy about that. You're in paradise, and you'll never hurt or get sick or feel sad ever again. I can't thank God enough for that." She says.

I swallow. How strong does someone have to be to find a joy in a loss as big as I was to Amy? How much do you have to love someone to feel that way?

"I love you too, Ames, so much." I whisper as I crouch down beside her and wrap my arms around her. I wish so badly that she could feel me now, could feel the love that I have for her, that I'll always have for her.

She lets out a little sob and my heart clenches in my chest. I tighten my arms around her, even though I know that it'll do no good. She won't feel me.

"Ty?" She whispers and I swallow thickly. My eyes widen when she lays her hand over mine and sets it there.

"Amy?" I whisper.

"It's like you're here, Ty. I swear, it's like your arms are around me right now." She whispers and I swallow again, but it almost hurts this time.

"You can feel me, Amy?" I ask and bury my head into her shoulder, a tremble running through my frame. She can feel me! Maybe not strongly, but enough to feel my arms around her!

A new happiness swells in my heart and I press a kiss to Amy's cheek. Her hand shakily reaches up to place over where I kissed and I smile happily. She felt my kiss!

"Oh Ames, you have no idea how happy I am right now." I whisper and cling to her.

She swallows hard, "I love you, Ty. I still have your ring, even if it isn't on my finger anymore. I lost weight before and didn't want to lose it, so I put it on a chain. There hasn't ever been a day that I haven't worn it." She lifts the small silver chain from under her shirt and my ring gleams on it.

I smile at her lovingly, "I know you still have it, Ames, and I know you've always worn it. Thank you for remembering me."

She sighs, "I miss you so much. You have no idea how many times I've went back in my mind and made you stay that night."

"You shouldn't feel like that, Ames. You know how stubborn I am." I whisper.

She laughs quietly, sadly, "There was even a time that I thought I could have seduced you into staying. Crazy, huh? But if I'd have known what was going to happen after I let you leave, I'd have done it, I'd have done anything to stop you."

My stomach tightens and I look at her in alarm, "Really, Ames?"

She sniffles and wipes at her eyes with a tissue, then her nose, "I know that sounds crazy, but it's true, Ty. I would have done anything to stop you from leaving if I'd have known that I was going to lose you that night."

I blink in total shock before swallowing hard and laying my head against her shoulder.

To be loved by someone so much, I was so blessed and I let it slip through my fingers.

_'Lord, please help Amy. She deserves so much more than I can give her. Please Lord...'_

_**Kiss the tears right off her face**_

_**Tell her everything's ok**_

_**Feel her heartbeat next to mine**_

_**And make up for lost time**_

_**Oh but God I know I can't**_

_**But you can't let her live this way**_

_**It's too late for savin' me**_

_**But there's still hope for savin' Amy**_

It's now been four years since I passed, and I can say that Amy has finally healed from my loss. She doesn't cry in her sleep anymore, or cry out for me. She's eating right again, and the horses never have to miss her like they did before. She's growing her hair back out even.

One thing I'm not the keenest on though is the new man in her life. His name is Will Savage and trust me when I say that I've done everything to figure out every little piece of information about him that I can.

He and Amy have been together a few months now and while he makes her happy, I can say (and I should feel ashamed that I'm proud of this) that he doesn't make her as happy as I did.

She still has my ring, it's around her neck every day. That said, that leads to one thing I can honestly admit to liking about Will; he doesn't dare ask her to move on from me or take off my ring. He respects that she still loves me more than any other person in her life, and he even went with her to my grave this year, and they'd only been together a few weeks at that time.

Amy's family like him too, and that's good. But Sundance is still going to take some warming over, and good luck to the guy because Sundance, in his older age, is really cranky and he's even taken shots at _me _some mornings, and he knows he can't actually hit me.

It is funny though, after he supposedly kicks at nothing and everyone's trying to figure out why he kicked. Amy saw him kick at me one morning and she's still puzzled over it.

Now I'm sitting in Amy's room, looking at that little brown box and that framed picture of me. She's never thought to get rid of them, either.

Sitting beside me, Will is doing the same thing as me, looking at my picture and at the box of old love letters I wrote to Amy.

"Hey Ames?" He asks suddenly and I shoot him a glance, wondering what he's going to say.

"Yeah?" She askes from her dresser, where she's putting on makeup for their date. I still think she looks better without it, but oh well.

"That box, it has all those letters that Ty wrote you, right?" He asks and I look at him fully now.

Don't you dare try to get rid of those, I put my heart into them.

"Yes, why?" Amy frowns at him over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Could I read them? I know that they're private and everything, but I want to know who this guy is, who's shoes it is that I'm trying to fill." Will says and both Amy and me look at him in surprise.

"Will, what do you mean?" Amy asks, coming to sit beside him.

"Ty was your first love, no one is ever going to measure up to him and he'll always hold your heart. I know that, and I accept it. But I want to know just how far I have to go to be a fraction of the guy that he was." Will explains and Amy's eyes soften as she looks at him.

I bite my lip and look down. I'm glad that he wants to do all he can to make Amy happy, but I'm not sure how I feel about this.

"Yes, Ty was my first love, and you're right, no one will ever measure up to him and he will always hold my heart. But you're not Ty, Will. You're you, and that's who I want to get to know. I've had my Ty in my life, now I want to know my Will." She said as she came and sat beside him, ultimately putting herself between me and him.

I smile softly at what she says and lean over, laying my lips briefly on her cheek before sitting back.

Will smiles at her, "Alright, Ames. I'm sorry that I asked, I didn't want to upset you."

Amy shakes her head, "You didn't. I just don't want you to think that you're going to have to try and be someone that you're not. You're Will, not Ty."

Will nods and takes Amy's hand, "I know that you loved him a lot, Ames. I only hope that I can win a little bit of your love." He says.

Amy lays her head against his shoulder, "You will."

I smile softly, knowing that Will may win a little bit of Amy's love, but I'll always hold the majority.

_**I'll kiss the tears right off her face**_

_**When I walk her through these gates**_

_**Feel her heartbeat next to mine**_

_**And make up for lost time**_

_**And God I'll thank you every day**_

_**For givin' her that ounce of faith**_

_**That led her right back here to me**_

_**And most of all for savin' Amy**_

_**For savin' Amy**_

_**Thank you God for savin' Amy**_

_**For savin' Amy**_

_**Thank you God for savin' Amy**_

_**For savin' Amy yeah**_

_**For savin' Amy**_

_**For savin' Amy**_

_**Savin' Amy**_

_**Thank you God for savin' Amy**_

The pearly gates of Heaven are one of the most beautiful things that you'll ever see. There aren't words great enough to describe them, or Heaven itself.

I'm sitting on a bench by Heaven's gates, where I've sat since that fateful day all those years ago when I finally left Earth and came to Heaven.

It was the day of Amy's wedding to Will. Yes, it hurt me to see her take someone else's last name, to be his bride and not mine, but I was still happy for her, and my ring was still around her neck, even at their wedding. I wasn't out of the picture, and I never have been since then.

I can remember what happened clearly.

I was standing off to the side at the wedding, and right after Amy said "I do", I was suddenly not there anymore, I was in this area of absolute beauty, and an angel, an actual angel, was standing in front of me, smiling at me.

Could you believe that since I've come to Heaven, I've had conversations with the angels Michael and Gabriel? Yeah, I still find it hard to believe sometimes, even when they talk to me as a matter of fact.

The day I got here, it was Gabriel who told me why I'd left Earth. I'd stayed behind to help Amy move on, and to help my own soul recover from what had happened.

Once Amy married Will, and I accepted that, then my duty on Earth was over and I'd come home. And while it had ended up being Will that she married, Amy was _my_ soul mate, not his, so in Heaven I was allowed to be with her. Will's soul mate is up here too, a nice lady named Ellie who I've chatted with a few times. She's so excited to meet him.

We've both watched Amy and Will grow older together, watched them have the kids that we wish we could have had with them. A boy and two girls; Blake, Annie, and Delilah. We've watched them see their grandkids be born, and even got to see them get a great-grandchild. That thoroughly excited Ellie to see.

Every day, I thank God that He gave Amy another chance at happiness after I was gone. And I thank Him for giving me more time with her. He's so amazing, just wait until you get to meet Him.

Sitting on the bench by the gates, I look up as Michael suddenly appears at my shoulder, a kind smile on his face.

I raise an eyebrow at him, "I've been here long enough to know when you're up to something."

Beside me, Ellie giggles.

"I'm just here to see the happy reunion is all, Gabriel should be here soon to witness it." He says, his voice like nothing you've ever heard.

"Happy reunion?" I ask, my heartbeat speeding up in my chest.

He nods and motions for me to stand as Gabriel makes his way over to us.

"Today's the day?" I ask nervously. I don't know why I'm nervous, I guess because of how long it's been. On Earth, it's been over sixty years since I died, since Amy last saw me.

Gabriel's hand on my shoulder steadies me some as an image starts appearing before my eyes. My heart races in my chest and I actually feel a little dizzy as we walk outside of the gates to greet Amy.

In a matter of seconds, there she is, looking as she did the last day of my mortal life.

"Amy?" I whisper, my voice thick with the tears that are burning my eyes.

Her eyes widen and I see tears fill her own eyes before my vision blurs with my own tears and I reach up to wipe at them.

"Ty!" She throws herself forward and throws her arms around me, clinging to me tightly as she sobs into my chest. I wrap my arms around her and hold her to me tightly, my own tears spilling down my cheeks.

I can finally hold her again, she can truly feel me and hear me.

"Amy, I've missed you so much." I whisper.

"I love you, Ty." She says, lifting her head from my chest to look up at me, her eyes shining with her tears.

"I love you too, Ames. Forever and always." I say and she smiles at me through her tears.

"This is too good to be true." She whispers as she reaches up to cup my wet cheek. I smile as I see my ring back on her finger.

"It's real, Ames. Welcome to Heaven." I whisper and motion to the two angels behind me, "I know you know of Gabriel and Michael here."

Amy's breath leaves her in a gasp as she sees the two angels for the first time. Her knees buckle underneath her, but I'm there to catch her. I did the same thing my first day.

I scoop her up bridal style and grin at her as she looks past the two angels to see Heaven's gates. She lays her head against my shoulder.

"This is... Wow." She whispers and I laugh.

Gabriel and Michael, ever the formal ones I suppose, give little bows before motioning behind us.

"Welcome to Heaven." Gabriel says.

"Ty has been waiting for you for a long time." Michael adds.

Amy smiles at me lovingly, "Really?"

I nod, "Yes, Ames. For a very long time."

"Shall we show her around?" Gabriel asks, him and Michael watching us with kind eyes. I follow them through the gates, cradling Amy bridal style in my arms. Her heart beats excitedly next to my own.

"What all have you done since you, well..." She trails off with a frown and I smile at her.

"Are you sure you want to hear that long tale?" I tease and she smiles at me lovingly.

"Of course I do." She whispers.

I let out a little breath and see Michael and Gabriel exchanging smiles in front of us.

"Tell you what Ames, you see Heaven first, and you'll speak to God, _then_ I'll bore you with my little tale." I say and she smiles at me eagerly.

"I get to meet God?" She turns to the two angels with her question.

"Of course, He has been waiting to see you for even longer than Ty has." Gabriel says.

As Amy and the angels speak of the Lord and how amazing He truly is, I can't help but silently thank Him again. Thanks to Him, I have my soul mate in my arms, and I'm complete once more.

I feel a brush of wind over my hair and smile, knowing that the Lord heard me. I can't help myself, I have to say thank you at least one more time.

_'Thank you God for giving me Amy, and for every blessing You've ever bestowed me. I can't wait to see Amy's face in a minute when she gets to see You...'_

_**Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! - 2 Corinthians 9:15**_

_**END**_


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